Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 17,218).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while M1 Pro moves to none and DDR5.

M1 Pro

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is M1 Pro better than Core i9-10980HK?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i9-10980HK is ahead with a 16.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark. M1 Pro also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

M1 Pro still makes the most sense overall. M1 Pro comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.1% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

M1 Pro makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i9-10980HK

The Core i9-10980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,037 points. Launch price was $583.

M1 Pro

The M1 Pro is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.064 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 24 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,218 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the M1 Pro offers 10 cores / 10 threads — the M1 Pro has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 3.22 GHz on the M1 Pro — a 45.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.064 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK is built on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the M1 Pro's 17,218 — a 1.1% lead for the M1 Pro. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 24 MB on the M1 Pro.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	M1 Pro
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	10 / 10+25%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+58%	3.22 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+16%	2.064 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	24 MB+50%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	28 MB+11100%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake-H (2020)	—
PassMark	17,037	17,218+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M1 Pro uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.